Lady Carrington Drive

This is not actually in the Sydney area as defined by the CycleSydney map but it is pretty close and I wrote the article when I was also publishing a few things about cycling in the Wollongong area

Lady Carrington Drive is a dirt road that follows the Hacking River up between a valley. The trail runs for 12kms each way and is not stressful at all in the climbing department until the very end. It is quite bumpy every now and again if you are not running suspension. So don’t bring your one gear bikes or your expensive road bikes on this trail. To get to the start of the trail is easy. Go to the entrance to Royal National next to the Loftus Oval. Pay 12+$ parking fees to the ranger at the gate. Head to Audley, park your car. It is very easy to get diverted by the “high tea and cakes” straight away in Audley. If not all your group wants to ride, they may want to join the many families hiring boats and playing french cricket on the grass and having picnics. See Map here >> (where Audley Rd crosses the Hacking River). Outside of the range of the Sydney Map but it will give you an idea.

But that is not why you are here, you want to ride and its off down the trail which you get to by riding past the eating area and down the wide river. Get on the dirt road and its a hop skip and a 12km jump to Sir Bertram Stevens Drive in the south. In summary, my teenage son said it was the best Dad track he had been on, I quite enjoyed it too though I probably was going a little fast for my skill level. The really good thing is you don’t have to stop for anything except the occasional refreshment and a photo or two. You can also do a little riding along the river in a northerly direction from the Audley River crossing. Very pretty. Take some water and a puncture repair kit or spare tube. That applies to all bike trails.